Thread: Wireless routers

The two university students Stefan Viehbock (FH Hagenberg) and Manuel Müller (University of Applied Sciences Coburg) examined various wireless router and the security of the factory-set wireless key. Golem is now reporting on the basis of the investigation yet published, that particular wireless router from T-Online and Vodafone / Arcor preferences are uncertain. The problem is the method for generating a wireless key. The WPA key is generated by conventional systems and could be easily guessed. Potential attackers only need the SSID to be known, but could send the SSID can be prevented, but modern wireless clients are able to still be able to read this.


The Speedport router from T-Online used to create a WPA key, the MAC address of the router. The remaining digits could be found through a targeted brute force attack. Not more than 4,096 tests were necessary. Know you also need the serial



number 1000 most attempts to start up the key would be cracked. A speed W700V could be done in three minutes unauthorized access (also affected speed ports with the model numbers W303V (type A), W 500, W 502V, W 503V (Type C), W 504V, W 700V, W 720V, W 722V (type B) and W 723V (type B).)


Even simpler is the attack on Vodafone / Arcor router. The WPA key there would be fully generated from the MAC address. Affected are EasyBox series routers with model numbers A 300, A 400, A 401, A 600, A 601, A 800, A 801, 402, 602, 802 and 803rd.


The experts strongly recommend that you change the wireless key using numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters. A 2011 test conducted in several major cities showed that 17 to 25 percent of users still using the factory settings.